Sunday, December 17, 2006

Post offices closure

Save the post office, old lady and teenager sign petition to save the post offices. from http://www.brentlibdems.org.uk/images/sites/217.160.173.25-3e678870b1c3f9.89263653/52.jpegGuardian article
Ministers unveiled plans to close 2500 Post offices.
My local post office may be among that number. But even if I still lived in London I would despair at this. thousands of people rely on these post offices, some places have terrible public transport (like around here) some people cannot drive and have no one who can drive them, these people are unlikely to be able to afford a taxi regularly(few people can).
All the profitable work that post offices and the royal mail did has been taken by other companies in the name of a free market and so it only has the unprofitable stuff left and so looses money because it HAS to do the unprofitable stuff if it is asked to.
Pensioners used to et their pensions from post offices but they were (almost) forced to have it sent to bank instead - and banks are even less common than post offices, especially in rural areas, many of those who need post offices are not computer literate and would be confused by telephone banking.
It is very Sad to see all these post offices being closed.
and that the post offices are loosing £200 million a year.

1 comment:

pat said...

Get your voice heard - the rural post office network - www.ruralaction.org.uk

Everyone has a view on the future of the rural post office network - but will everyone's views be heard? Perhaps you have a good idea on the future of the network; perhaps your own experience shows a vital aspect has been over-looked. Now there is a simple way to get your point across quickly and easily. The recent popularity in 'blogging' - contributing to a weblog or online message board - has inspired ruralnet|uk to set up a blog for this issue: a simple technique allowing thousands to add their personal comments to the debate. Over half of all UK homes have access to an online computer - as well as libraries, youth clubs, schools, day centres, UK online centres, and even some Post Offices! Anyone with an interest can visit the blog and leave their comment on the consultation questions, and read what others are saying.

ruralnet|uk Chief Executive, Simon Berry said "Government consultations are all very well, but they are time consuming and complicated. Fine for the professionals but not for the people affected. It will take just a few moments for anyone to have their say in our collective consultation and their views will go straight to the government."

Visit www.ruralaction.org.uk, click any of the ‘Comment’ links and have your say. You can comment on as little or as much as you like. It is as simple and quick as that. There is no printing or sending to do.

At the end of the consultation period, ruralnet|uk undertakes to summarise objectively all the comments received, and feed them into the Government’s consultation procedure. Says Simon: "We were the first to use the internet to run a collective consultation on the ‘first’ rural white paper way back in the spring of 1999 when we received 1154 contributions. It was said to be "one of the most useful submissions received”. So we know that a collective view from rural people, presented by us will carry a lot of weight.

So, don't be left out: go to www.ruralaction.org.uk state your views and have an impact on the future of post office services in rural areas.